One Bad Mother

Biz and Theresa ask if "parenting karma" is real and if just by saying something good is happening with sleep, eating, potty training….anything…you will JINX it and whatever was good will be bad. Just to be safe….let's say it is true. Plus, Biz doesn't know what actually is easier, Theresa’s kids are clutter prodigies, and we talk to Margot Black, author of Where’s My Award!  How to Get...

Biz and Theresa try to remember what we thought being an adult was going to be like when we were kids and wonder if we lived up to those expectations. Well, Biz did eat three boxes of fruit roll ups because “she could” so that was something! We also discuss what we may or may not be able to do to help our kids become adults. Surprise! It probably involves work. Plus Biz goes on a field trip, There...

Biz and Theresa jump on Trolley and head into Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and wonder if all that singing is just a way to keep Mom Tiger from having a psychotic break? Plus, Biz needs a break herself and Theresa does The Hustle. We also talk with the wise and wonderful Maureen Campion of MarriageGeek.com  and the new book Heal Your Birth Story  about helping our relationships survive the early yea...

SAND! Biz and Theresa dig deep to talk about how sand is everywhere and probably full of cat pee but we're going to keep going back for more regardless. Plus you're going to hear Biz roar, Theresa is a brand new person, and we talk with artist, writer, comics creator and father of five, Ben Hatke. Share your genius and fail moments! Call 206-350-9485* *Be sure to tell us at the top of your message...

Biz and Theresa open old wounds and share some of our most mortifying moments from childhood! We wonder how these experiences will come into play when our own kids inevitably experience embarrassing moments of their own. Plus, Biz hangs ten, Theresa watches it all go down the drain, and we talk to Catherine Newman about her new memoir Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy In Childhood’s Messy Years...

Biz and Theresa explore what it's like when we have a lot of hard days in a row. You know, when you think you're almost over the hump of one problem and then three new ones crop up? It's enough to make a sleep-deprived mama cry...and we do! Plus, Biz's six-year-old now knows the word "sexy" but not exactly how to use it, Theresa longs for a commune lifestyle, and no guest this week means Theresa h...

Heads up! There are some discussions about miscarriage in this episode, so please be forewarned if that's a trigger for you. Or, maybe NAPTIME is a worse trigger?! We wouldn't blame you if that's the case. Naps or the lack thereof can be a real son-of-a-somethin' and despite a cumulative four kids and nearly twelve years of parenting between us, Biz and Theresa don't necessarily have the answer to...

Biz and Theresa hash out the possible reasons why Biz can’t stop saying “no” to EVERYTHING her kids want to do, even when there is no good reason for it. “No, you can’t play with that toy that is totally yours and is actually fine for you to play with! Wait, I mean, ok.” Plus, Biz feels cheated by TV again, Theresa survives an epic public temper tantrum, and we ask why so many kids were eating cak...

It's the final week of #MaxFunDrive 2016! Support the show at MaximumFun.org/donate . Thank you! This week, Biz and Theresa talk about all the ways "date night" can go terribly wrong for parents and zero in on some tips for actually making date nights great. Plus, Biz is in Spring Break Hell, Theresa is in another, less festive hell, and we talk with Caitlin Krapf, Co-Producer of the documentary f...

It's the #MaxFunDrive! Support the show by visiting MaximumFun.org/donate . Thank you! This week, Biz and Theresa are talking about the guilt and drama surrounding family dinnertime. So sit still, eat your dinner, and bond with your family for goodness sake! Dinner time is supposed to be relaxing! DON'T WE LOOK RELAXED? Plus, Biz steels herself for spring break, Theresa finds the fun in four, and...

Biz and Theresa try to decide how important OUR style is when it comes to what our kids wear. And does what they wear reflect on the job we're doing as their parents? “I swear my two-year-old really does love vintage! HE picked this out!” When "should" our kids be dressing themselves and what "should" we be doing to help? (If your kid isn't already dressing herself, eh, she probably will once she'...

Biz and Theresa get deep and talk about...stickers! Where do they get stuck in YOUR house or car? Is permanent sticker damage to furniture avoidable or inevitable? Has exhaustion led to a lack of caring about the answer to any of the above questions? Whatever the answer, just like the sticker on Biz's childhood luggage says, "Keep Truckin’.” Plus, Biz wins big, Theresa has a toddler sleep update a...

Biz and Theresa admit there are some (ok, MANY) times when we behave almost exactly like our toddlers. Shouldn't we have more patience for their shenanigans when the reality is we totally "get" why they're acting out most of the time because we'd like to stomp our feet and throw things, too? Plus, Biz gets through a challenging experience with her kids and Theresa is confused because things seem t...

Biz and Theresa just want to have a good time this week while simultaneously not talking about being a parent! So, we talk about some remarkably not-kid-related stuff, from karaoke to what we'd do with a million dollars to favorite childhood memories. Don't worry, we can't spend an ENTIRE show avoiding the whole parents-of-young-kids thing. This episode has genius moments and failures, and some ho...

Biz and Theresa discover the joys of homework. How does our history of loving or loathing homework play into what we want for our kids? Who is homework for kids under age six *really* for? If my kid pastes the square into the circle, are we out of Harvard? Plus, Biz becomes the Big Ketchup house, Theresa becomes an aunt, and we talk to former NCIS agent Heather Ryan about empowering ourselves and...

Biz and Theresa discuss the ways our children are different from their siblings and from us! How dare they each be unique individuals?! Plus, Biz finds her Fight Song, Theresa gets as serious as she can with a four-year-old, and we're still laughing from our chat with the lovely and charming Barrie Hardymon, NPR’s Weekend Edition Book Editor, mom of two, and author of the article, I Had A C-Sectio...

Biz and Theresa discuss the ways our kids' appearance and actions do or do not directly reflect on us as their parents. Why do we take credit for certain traits but shrug off other traits as being influenced by others or "just the way they were born"? Is it important for kids to reflect positively on their families or more important for them to be their own people and make their own way? Plus, Biz...

Trigger warning: Biz and Theresa talk about online parenting discussion groups! How is it possible these places can range from amazing lifelines to awful wells of judging and hostility? Why do we go to parenting message boards and why do we stay? How can we dodge the landmines? ("I was just looking for some toddler snack ideas! How did this post become about vaccinations?") Plus, Biz is paralyzed,...

Biz and Theresa realize we need more time to check in on what's been going on recently. From favorite shows to the noise of clutter to feminist fireside chats with children, we let the little things in life take over the show this week and it feels good to catch up! Plus, we talk to Bianca Jamotte about her hilarious video series Real Mommy Confessions which serves as a reminder that none of us ar...

Biz and Theresa return from the holidays to reflect on toys that suck and wonder: is this a good way to teach kids that life will never be what you expect and nothing's actually as cool as the advertisement suggests? Sure! Plus, Biz finds herself in a "Noon Year’s Eve" hell, Theresa is just glad it's all over, and we talk to blogger and author Kristin Quinn about Misadventures In Mommyhood . Share...

Biz and Theresa reflect on 2015 and look back at the resolutions we made a year ago to see how we did! (Surprise: it's a real mixed bag.) Then we talk about all the awesomeness that 2016 has in store, from our kids gaining more independence to us recommitting to doing stuff we actually WANT to do to all the great sleep we're sure we're going to get (ok, maybe not all our expectations are 100% real...

Don’t listen with your kids because Biz and Theresa talk about Santa this week! Are we LYING to our kids? Or, creating a joyful and magical fantasy world for them? Regardless, this is a great chance to talk about all the different ways people celebrate the holiday. Plus, we invent a new holiday this week! The first ever "Step Back Day" will be Monday, December 21st! HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE? And, we...

Biz and Theresa talk about kids' books and outside of a few, how totally horrible they can be. Is it ok to just skip pages or not even let our kids know some classic children’s literature exists? What about books about TV shows or merchandise -- “And then the little Hot Wheel saved Christmas!” HUH?! Plus, Biz is desperate to hear "those three little words" from Ellis, Theresa is on the other side...

Some people know they want kids and some people know they don’t, but what if you don’t care one way or the other, is that even an option? Biz and Theresa say it's actually a viable one! We hash out what goes into making those big decisions in our lives. Plus, Biz's littlest turns two and Theresa gears up to take one of her kids in for a surgical procedure. Share your genius and fail moments! Call...

Biz and Theresa wonder why we have this feeling that we're supposed to spend the holidays happily cooking traditional favorites in the kitchen with our children by our sides, when in reality that seems utterly impossible. Is it us? Is it our children? Is it the media? SOMEONE MUST BE TO BLAME! Plus, Biz has an exciting "mom moment," Theresa is still in the darkness, and we chat with the charming a...